Steam condensers



June l2, 1962 G. C. MCDONALD STEAM CONDENSERS Filed April 25, 1958 i l l T I ATTORNEY 3,038,709 STEAM CUNDENSERS Gerald C. McDonald, Newton, Mass., assiguor to The McDonald Company, Boston, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Filed Apr. 25, 1958, Ser. No. 730,949 1 Claim. (Cl. 261--116) This invention relates to improvements in steam condensers, and more particularly to condensers for dish- Washing machines and the like. The invention provides a simple dome-type condenser which is conveniently mountable on atop wall portion of a dishwashing machine and which may constitute a decorative addition to the machine.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a hollow condenser-dome structure having a sizable bottom opening for registering with a top opening in a Wall of the dishwashing machine whereby steam rising from the dish- Washing chamber tends to enter the condenser dome and is relatively strongly induced to flow into the dome` by a jet off water directly longitudinally of the dome, the said jet producing a relatively forceful spray for carrying condensed steam to the walls of the dome, down which walls the sprayed water and condensed steam runs to a collecting trough and thence to a drainage conduit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a steam condenser for dishwashing machines and the like wherein a hollow dome is adapted to trap steam issuing from the dishwashing chamber, and wherein the trapped steam is condensed by water jetted into the dome and into contact with the dome walls whereby water-cooled and condensed steam is carried by the jetted water to the dome walls down which the Water and condensed steam runs and is collected at the base of the dome and flowed away through a drain conduit.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a hollow dome-type steam condenser wherein a water jet is centrally disposed at the entrance to the dome for spraying water into contact with the side and top wall surfaces of the dome, the said jet inducing flow of steam into the dome from a dishwashing chamber, or the like, and the jetted Water condensing the steam and carrying the condensed moisture to the dome walls down lwhich the water and condensation flows and is collected for discharge into a drainage conduit.

It is, moreover, my purpose and object generally to improve the structure and eiciency of steam condensers for dishwashing machines, and the like, and more especially such condensers of a hollow-dome type which may be mounted on a top wall portion of the dishwashing machine.

In the accompanying drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of a conventional variety of dishwashing machine having mounted thereon a steam condenser embodying features of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the dishwashing machine of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view on line 3-3 of FIG. 2, on an enlarged scale, and showing the condenser mounted on an upper wall portion of the dishwashing chamber of the machine;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on line 4-4 of FIG. 2, on the scale of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view through the jet nozzle; and

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional view on line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

Referring to the drawing, a conventional variety of dishwashing machine is indicated generally at 10 and has an enclosed dishwashing chamber behind the open-able panel 12, t-he top Wall 14 of the chamber having an opening at 16 therethrough for escape of steam from the chamber.

According to the invention, a flanged ring member 18 has its flange 19 suitably secured to the top wall 14 of the dishwashing chamber, annularly around the top opening 16 in the Wall v14.

A hollow dome 20 has its lower end open and suitably secured within the ring member 18, the said lower end of the dome having a sleeve member 22 secured therein and the sleeve having an inturned generally horizontal annular portion 23 terminating in an annular portion 23 which is concentric about the axis of the dome 20. A passage-reducing annular element 24 has its larger end secured within the sleeve 22, and its smaller end secured fwithin the portion 23' on the sleeve, the two connected ends being themselves connected together by the integral tapering Wall portion 25.

The annular wall portions 23, 23 of the sleeve member Z2 constitute, with the adjacent side wall of the dome 20, a collecting trough from which collected water can escape into the drainage conduit 26.

A jet nozzle 28, connected with a source of water above atmospheric pressure, is mounted at a central point at the base of the dome 20 and is arranged and adapted for directing a relatively strong spray of water upwardly within the dome, the force of the spray being such that the sprayed water carries to the dome Walls and flows down the inwardly tapering side lwalls of the dome, to be 'collected in the trough at 23. The jet nozzle 218 is at the end of a horizontally disposed conduit furture, indicated generally at 30, and having the portion 31 extending through on opening in the ring member '18, with its outer end connected to a suitable water supply conduit 32.

Nozzle 28 preferably s located with its discharge orifice at or relatively close to the horizontal plane of the lower portion of the reduced entrance passage to the interior of dome 20, and the nozzle preferably is of a commercially available rotary action type as represented in FIGS. 5 and 6, wherein the entrance passage of the nozzle is offset for causing a circulatory action of the water within the nozzle housing which eliminates much of the frictional losses incident to conventional nozzles wherein there is an abrupt change of direction of the water passing to and through the nozzle orifice. The illustrated rotary action variety of nozzle provides a required yforceful spray, under available service water pressures, which carries the sprayed Water to the top and side walls of the dome 20' so that the greater portion of the sprayed water reaches these walls Iand runs down into the collecting trough at 23. Relatively small amounts of the sprayed water falls short of reaching the dome Walls.

It will be apparent from the foregoing description, in connection with the drawing, that the walls of dome 20 constantly are cooled by the jetted water, 'and the relatively forceful spray effectively condenses steam Within the dome and carries the condensed moisture to the dome wall surfaces on which it and the sprayed water runs down the inclined dome Walls to the collecting trough and thence ows away in drainage conduit 26.

Various changes in details of the disclosed structure may be made Within the scope of the appended claim, and it is intended that the patent shall cover, by suitable expression in the appended claim, whatever features of patentable novelty exist in the invention disclosed.

I claim as my invention:

Apparatus for condensing steam escaping upwardly thro-ugh a large wall opening in a container comprising, in combination, a ring adapted to be engaged over the wall defining said opening and mounting at its inner periphery an uptanding ange dening an unobstructed entranceopening capable of passing large quantities of the escaping steam therethrough; an annular dome side Wall xed to and extending upwardly and outwardly from said ring, the lower end of said annular side wall having an inwardly and upwardly extending portion joining therewith to form a trough extending entirely `around said entranceopening; a generally hemispherical dorne top wall of substantial curvature fitting and seated on the upper end of said -annular dome side wall, said ring and dome side and top walls defining a hollow dome enclosure above said wall opening; a jet nozzle mounted centrally of and Iwithin the zone of said entrance-opening; fluid conduit means lfor connecting said nozzle to a source of water above `atmospheric pressure, said nozzle arranged and adapted for `forming said water into an upwardly directed spray which under said pressure reaches to said top and side walls of said dome enclosure, said spray functioning to draw said steam upwardly through said entrance-opening while admixing with and thereby effectively condensing the steam within said dome enclosure, said spray further functioning to carry substantially all the condensed steam to the dome wall surfaces whereupon the condensed steam and the spray run down said dome and side wall surfaces into said trough substantially without fall of 'water back through said entrance-opening; and a drainage conduit connected to said trough for conducting away the water and condensate collected in said trough. 

